Broken
by Anifan1
Summary: A somewhat unsympathetic Yeerk infests a beaten human. Strangeness and lots of angst occurs. UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to KAA and scholastic, not me. I do own all of the non canon characters, so if you want to use them, ask me first.

_Karase five-one-four, prepare to infest your new host,_ came the computer's voice. _Repeat. Karase five-one-four, prepare to infest your new host._

_As though I would be stupid enough not to listen the first time,_ Karase grumbled to herself as she swam towards the infestation pier.

Karase five-one-four considered herself to be an average Yeerk: She hated Andalites with a passion, feared Visser three's tail blade even more than his temper, and believed that humans ranked somewhere between Hork-Bajir and Yeerk on the intelligence level.

Andalites were lower than Gedds.

She was currently in between hosts. Not voluntarily, but what could she do about it? Her former human, a human male, had just been reassigned to another Yeerk of an equal or slightly lower rank. They told her that her next host would come eventually.

Karase did not know if her new host would be human, but she assumed that she would be notified if she was to receive a Hork-Bajir. After all, a non human host could greatly change her assignment, and the Yeerks who were in charge of the assignments were greatly aware of that.

Not that her position was that important. It was average for Yeerks who infested humans; blend in and try to recruit more members for The Sharing. In addition, keep an eye out for the Andalite Bandits, but no one really expected the human Controllers to be able to do anything there.

Karase worked under Sub-Visser Nineteen, along with several dozen other Yeerks in that area who hosted humans. So she would continue to do so after receiving her new human.

The head was either pushed under water or entered voluntarily. Regardless, Karase was able to crawl in without much difficulty.

She would win any fight, of course. But it was easier not to bother with it.

Before long, Karase had reached the brain. She pressed down among the crevices and felt the connection. She opened the girl's eyes and was relieved to be able to see again.

The Hork-Bajir guards were now helping her up. Karase continued to look inside the human's brain. She wasn't searching the memories yet, but rather trying to be aware of any emotions.

The host's mind seemed blank with a touch of depression. Fear, too, was quite rampant. No resistance, though. A sort of dazed emotion filled the human's mind. Now that Karase was listening, she could sense some crying in the background, but it was faded.

Once Karase left the Yeerk pool, she was able to converse with her host without risk of drawing attention to herself.

_Hello. My name is Karase five-one-four._

There was no answer.

Suddenly, Karase knew. She had never experienced anything like this before, and it had never been specifically instructed to her, but somehow, she knew what it was.

This host had been broken. Broken terribly.

Of course, Karase briefly hoped that she had been mistaken. This couldn't be. She had heard of hosts that had given up, but they were quite rare. Even the ones who belonged to the vissers were either voluntary or, at least, conscious. Hosts might give up hope and wish that they could die, but to be broken…

Being broken was essentially what happened after a host underwent a severe amount of torture for long periods of time. Long as in months at a time. The host's mind still existed, but it was so faded that it might as well not exist.

There was no data available, but Karase imagined that less than one in one thousand hosts had been broken. Even then, it was a last resort. A host had to be uncontrollable in order to experience this treatment. Most hosts could be silenced with a few hours of torture.

Karase imagined that the process of breaking a host could take weeks, even months. Most hosts would become docile far before then.

And then their Yeerk would end the torture. Because Yeerks—well, most Yeerks—viewed torture only as a means to an end and preferred a quiet host who had given up to one who could not function on their own.

Had this human been one of the few uncontrollable ones? She checked the human's memories, but all evidence indicated that the human had started as voluntary.

_Speak, human,_ she commanded, hoping against hope that the sternness of the order would alleviate the situation.

There was a faint stirring in the human's mind. Images seemed to flash through her head. Violent ones. Ones of extreme mental torture. Not just replaying of horrible memories, but showing the fantasies of an incredibly sadistic Yeerk.

Now the host screamed. Even that sounded weak to Karase's mind.

_Silence, human,_ Karase commanded. Then, more gently, she added, _I won't hurt you._

The host mind receded into blankness. Karase ignored the human briefly, realizing that her most pressing problem was returning the host to her home. She found her car, got inside, and began the relatively short drive back to the apartment.

She walked up the stairs, out of the Yeerk pool area, and began to pry into the human's memory. The human was a female, though Karase had guessed as much.

She was almost twenty-seven years old. Her name was Daisy. She worked as a teacher at the local high school. She lived by herself in an apartment complex which she bought with part of her savings and most of the money she had been given from family for graduating college, but was new to this area. Her father lived several hundred miles away with her younger sister. Her mother had died last year. Daisy had joined the Sharing to meet people, though partly it was to meet nice men. She had never been in a relationship, as humans called it, but wanted to find a suitable spouse and have children at some point.

The plan may have worked if the Sharing was an ordinary group and not a Yeerk front. Karase, very briefly, felt pity for this human. She had done nothing wrong, after all.

It had been two years. Karase had no idea who it was, since he never bothered to introduce himself to Daisy and often kept her in such a state that she was unaware of what went on outside of her head.

Karase had no idea if Daisy was reparable. She had reservations about trying to help too much. These days, it was quite easy to find oneself sentenced to Kandrona starvation. Karase was not exactly ambitious, but she did want to live. Besides, Daisy might prove to be a handful if she ever healed, and Karase did not want to spend her time fighting this host for control.

On the other hand, Karase could not help but feel as though she needed to help Daisy. There was something about her helplessness that softened Karase.

_Surely, she would not fight me if I helped her_, she reasoned to herself. _And I can always break her again if she does._

She laughed to herself at the last comment. Perhaps a little too harsh. She would not break Daisy if the human resisted her because Daisy would not resist her. A grateful host who knew their place was, in so many ways, much better than a host who was basically brain dead. After all, Karase did not mind communicating with hosts.

So, she would have to be kind. Gentle. Present herself as a friend to the human. The thought did not exactly make her ill, but it was unsettling. Karase was not usually patient, nor was she gentle.

How did one go about repairing a host?

Probably by doing the reverse of whatever broke the host. Which meant a steady diet of positive memories.

Karase search through Daisy's memory. Pleasant ones were plentiful enough.

After Daisy healed, would it be possible for her and Karase to form some sort of symbiotic relationship?

This would, after all, be the only reason for Karase putting forth such effort.

Karase only knew her instincts and believed that the answer was yes. Daisy would be a good host once she was restored.

_Could Daisy become a friend?_

Karase started. Where had that thought come from? Hosts were inferior. Friendship with _them _did not matter.

Karase saw that Daisy had been asleep for the past several minutes.

_Wake up, human._

Daisy panicked as she struggled to regain consciousness. This time, she was more relaxed and more able to speak.

_You…?_

Karase's voice was gentle. _I'm Karase five-one-four. You may call me Karase. I'm your new master._

The human did not seem terribly reassured.

_Unless you refuse to cooperate with me, I promise not to use torture,_ Karase added with a mental smile.

The effect was hardly reassuring: Daisy shrank into a corner of her mind. She wept softly.

Karase swore. This was not going to be easy.

Karase counted to three in her head, and then spoke. She tried to make her voice as gentle and reassuring as she knew how.

_Human, I promise I will not hurt you. In fact, I want to help you to get better, but you have to cooperate with me. Understand?_

Daisy remained at the edge of her mind, but gave a mental nod.

_Not human,_ Daisy whispered. _Daisy._

_All right._

The human was talking coherently. That was a step in the right direction. Karase couldn't help but feel proud of herself.

The next three days were stressful for Karase, but more pleasant than the past couple of years had been for Daisy, so Karase felt that she couldn't complain. Karase spent a good part of the day in the middle school that Daisy worked at which was interesting but hardly Karase's favorite way to pass time. This was unfortunate because Karase had to take over Daisy's role of teacher while there.

Whenever Karase had a free moment, she would show Daisy some of her long forgotten good memories, or communicate with her. The memories allowed Daisy to trust her new Yeerk, but only to a very limited extent. Daisy rarely responded when spoken to. This was partly out of fear but mostly due to her mental state.

Still, Karase had managed to make considerable progress in those three days. Much more than she would have expected. It would take longer to mold Daisy, of course, but the human was not off to a bad start.

The main reason for this was Daisy was starting to feel emotionally attached to her new Yeerk. Karase had heard of this happening before; sometimes, if a host was used to cruel treatment, then even silence from a new Yeerk would be seen as a vast improvement.

Karase was certainly doing more than refraining from torturing Daisy, so it was natural for the human to become fond of her. Compared to the previous Yeerk, Karase was a saint.

Which showed Karase how much Daisy had suffered: at least half of Karase's hosts had told her to go to hell at one time.

Though talking was next to impossible, communication was not terribly difficult. Karase had full access to Daisy's personality, so she knew what her host did and did not enjoy even if Daisy couldn't form the words. For instance, Daisy had slept against the wall ever since she fell out of bed when she was ten. Her favorite color was purple. She was an early riser. Daisy rarely drank coffee. She only wore skirts and dresses—never pants.

Daisy's old Yeerk had made her give up habits such as these in hopes to violate her further. Karase resumed these habits in hopes of restoring the human.

And other ones, as well. Of all of the terrible things about being a Controller, sleeping was the worst. She had been so used to being able to sleep by herself, to pull the blankets over her head, that not controlling her body seemed like another measure of torture.

So, on the first night of Daisy's reinfestation, she took control as she went about the usual preparations, but let go once Daisy was in her bedroom.

At first, Daisy seemed positively baffled. _What are…?_ she asked.

Daisy rarely finished her sentences.

_Go ahead. Get into bed. Get under the covers,_ Karase coaxed.

Daisy took a few steps tentatively, and Karase maintained enough control in order to stabilize Daisy lest she fall. She got into bed, and pulled the sheets and the covers around her tightly. Daisy closed her eyes as her head touched the pillow. Sleep began to take over.

_Thank you_, she whispered, just before the dreams began.

She seemed at peace…or as much at peace as a broken slave could be. The next morning, the human was noticeably better. So, Karase decided that she would let Daisy fall asleep on her own after that night. Giving control for ten seconds was hardly surrendering control, especially when there were no other humans, or Yeerks, around.

Now, Karase waited at the Yeerk pool. She had warned Daisy not to act any differently than she had been, and the human had gave her word. Of course, Daisy had not improved very much at this point, and Karase doubted that anyone would notice a great difference in her behavior.

She spoke to her host, gently and softly, as usual. _I'm going to feed now. I'll be back in a few hours._

_No, _Daisy whimpered.

_I will be back,_ Karase sighed as she began to detach herself.

_Hurry,_ came Daisy's voice, just before she left.

Daisy severed the rest of the connections as she plunged into the water. She had never been so relieved to escape. Traitous thoughts such as Yeerks without hosts had a better life entered her mind as the water surrounded her. Karase sighed with relief, glad to be rid of human emotions and baggage. Life was so much simpler in the pool. Even if she couldn't see. Karase was looking forward to a few hours of rest and relaxation before she would have to endure that insolent human again.

She certainly would _not_ hurry back to her host.

Funny, she always thought that involuntary hosts who screamed were the most annoying. How Yeerks must long to escape them…unless these Yeerks were sadistic, or exceptionally well trained at blocking out noises from a host. But Daisy was the hardest host that Karase had ever needed to endure.

Not that it was her fault.

Karase swam aimlessly for awhile, trying to rest. She was unsuccessful, falling into a doze a few times, but generally remaining awake but not alert.

By the time she needed to reinfest Daisy, she found that she had swum into an area that was several feet deep and far away from the infestation pier.

She sighed, and began to swim towards the pier as the computer called, _Karase 514, report to infestation. Repeat, Karase 514, report to infestation._

Stupid human.

Karase got in line, located Daisy's head and inched forward. At least Daisy had the decency not to thrash around.

She still felt a sense of dread as she crawled through the ear and into the brain. Daisy hadn't been screaming or anything. Good; Karase would not have to endure a sore throat.

Once connected, she murmured a quick greeting to her host, and then made her way out of the Yeerk pool complex. Even though she loved being there in her natural state, Karase didn't have quite the same feelings about it when she was in a host.

Daisy remained silent as Karase drove her home, her mind hazy. She, too, had been sleeping.

_I rested for awhile in the pool,_ Karase replied. _But I see that your nap didn't help you very much._

_The floor. The screams…_ Daisy trailed off.

Yes, Karase felt the effect of sleeping between the cage wires. But that was one thing that could be easily solved.

_If you promise not to run off, I'll tell them that you're voluntary now. You can rest in the voluntary area. _

Daisy looked up from within the corner of her mind, now more alert.

_Really?_

_Yes, as long as you promise not to run away and to come for reinfestation when your name is called,_ Karase promised. _They have some nice chairs and a few couches in that area. There's also some food, in case you get hungry._

_I wouldn't escape,_ Daisy promised, weakly.

Karase felt a sudden stab of anger at whoever did this to her. Really, humans, especially voluntary humans, should not be treated this way.

Daisy felt the anger, and hid.

This time, Karase really did sigh.

_Human—Daisy. I'm not angry at you._

_Who…?_

_Your old Yeerk._

Daisy shivered. _Horrible._

_You're not with him anymore. Do you know who he is?_

Karase did not really care. It was just something to ask. She knew already that Daisy's previous Yeerk had never mentioned his name.

_No._

Karase sighed. _He should be punished for what he did._

Daisy gave no response.

_We have thirty-five papers to read and grade by tomorrow,_ Karase grumbled.

_So soon?_

_It's the end of the marking period. _Long pause. _I need to go to a Sharing meeting tomorrow night, after school ends, Sub-Visser 19 wants to speak with us._

_Okay._

_Don't worry. Visser three won't be there. It's just for humans._

_Okay._

_We should get started on those papers._

_Okay._


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening, as Daisy slept, worried thoughts crept through Karase's mind.

Was Daisy ever going to say anything intelligible? Perhaps one word answers was better than no response, but…

She shouldn't care, but a part of her did. It probably came from living with the human.

She _shouldn't_ care, though. It could cause a lot of problems later on. Karase did not want to become emotionally involved with her host. She prided herself on being a clear thinker. Daisy should not cloud her judgment.

Karase would not let her.

The next day, after Daisy's school day had ended, Karase had a meeting with sub-visser nineteen and twenty-four other human Controllers. Karase had a plan in mind, and made sure to arrive early.

_Have you ever seen Visser 3?_ Karase questioned.

_Yes._

What Daisy did not say was that he didn't scare her as much as her old Yeerk.

_Sub-visser nineteen is not him. She's not the founder of the Peace Movement, but she also isn't a psychotic murderer._

_Normal?_

_Fairly._

Daisy laughed nervously. Karase had to smile.

_I'm going to talk to her about you. I want you to be silent while I do so. Understand?_

_Yes._

Karase softened her tone. _I am going to speak to her on your behalf._

_Okay._

Karase entered the room where the meeting would be held. It was a small classroom at the local high school. Sub-visser nineteen was already there, discussing something with a student. She also posed as a teacher, though Karase believed that the exact definition was a "substitute teacher."

The sub-visser looked up when she saw Karase.

"You'll have to excuse me, Derek. My meeting is going to start soon and the staff has already begun to arrive."

The human being conversing with the sub-visser said something that Karase could not quite make out.

"Yes, problems one thru fifteen for tomorrow."

He murmured something else and then left.

Sub-visser nineteen walked up to the door and shut it.

"May the Kandrona shine upon you and strengthen you, sub-visser," Karase greeted.

"And also on you. Since you're here, move these desks into a circle. Except the large one."

"Yes, sub-visser."

"Derek is one of those absurd children who actually pay attention to the things a substitute teacher says. I can see why my host joined the Sharing; it is a very tiring job."

Karase nodded and began to move the desks.

"Who are you, again? I don't recognize your host."

"Karase five-one-four, sub-visser."

"Ah, you." She cleared her throat. "Let someone else do that."

"Yes, sub-visser."

Karase stood awkwardly between two chairs.

"New host?"

"Yes. My old one was not suitable for the new assignment. The Empire decided that…"

"Yes, well, I'm sure that whatever the Empire did was for a good reason."

Karase cleared her throat. She was not quite sure how, or where, to begin.

"Do you have a cold?"

"N-no, sub-visser."

"Good. My host catches infections from others quite easily. It can be an annoyance. So you were clearing your throat for another reason."

"Yes, sub-visser. You see, my host has had some problems."

The sub-visser rolled her eyes. "Spare me the melodrama. She's resistant and you're used to a voluntary host. Get used to it. Most humans are not voluntary."

"It is not _that_." She thought quickly. "I want to find her old Yeerk to obtain certain information."

"The human does not know?"

"She recalls only that he was a male Yeerk," Karase explained.

"Well, I don't know." The Yeerk pondered. "One of the females at this meeting, Candra five-six-four is on the committee that determines reinfestation. Tall human female, blonde hair. Fifteen years old. Ask her."

"Yes, sub-visser. Thank you."

The sub-visser nodded, signifying it was the end of the conversation.

The meeting was quite dull. It dealt with the percentage of hosts that had been attained during the last six weeks and how these numbers might increase. They hoped to have one Yeerk in every hundred infested in either Hork-Bajir, Taxxon, or human by the end of the next six weeks.

They were currently around one every hundred and two point nine.

"This means," the sub-visser concluded, "that procreation is quite important. One out of every two female Hork-Bajir should produce offspring, provided they are of the right year, so that our numbers of Hork-Bajir can increase by about two thousand by the end of the year. Humans should also procreate. If possible, the newborn will be infested at birth. We will do studies on one hundred newborns to see if it is advisable to infest them right away or at a later age.

"Meeting dismissed."

Karase felt Daisy tugging nervously at her mind. _Now?_ She questioned.

_Yes. Be quiet._

Daisy's emotions showed resentment. Karase could tell that she was also near tears. She was so frustrated with everything because even though part of her wanted to be free from all forms of Yeerk control, another part of her was so shaken that she would not be able to survive long without some kind of help.

_I'm doing this_ for_ you, Daisy,_ Karase reminded.

Daisy perked up slightly. _ Sorry._

_It's all right._

More unsettling thoughts entered Karase's mind. Thoughts that shouldn't be said because if they did, they might happen.

If the Andalite Bandits ever won this war, the humans would notice that many former Controllers would have trouble functioning in life. Yeerks like Daisy's old one were rare, Karase knew, but they still existed. Moreover, an average Yeerk could cause a lot of emotional damage to an involuntary Controller. It really all depended on the temperament of the host and the Yeerk assigned. The right match would result in harmony, the wrong match would result in destruction. There didn't seem to be a way for a middle option to exist, even though Karase knew that most hosts and Yeerks probably existed along this line.

Karase never realized until then that pairing Yeerks with humans was very much like assigning two humans to be roommates. The only difference was that here, the two shared a brain in addition to a room.

Karase looked around the room for the physical description of this peculiar Yeerk.

"Candra?" Karase greeted upon finding her.

"Yes?" Candra replied, sounding uncertain.

"Karase five-one-four. The sub-visser mentioned you are in charge of infestation."

"That is correct."

"I need information."

Candra's eyes narrowed. "What kind?"

"Who was the last Yeerk inside my host?"

"Why?"

It was time to be blunt.

"Were you in charge of my new assignment?" Karase asked.

"Not just me, although I noticed that the host could use another Yeerk."

"Why is that?"

"Don't you know? Anyone who visits the pool could tell which one she is because of the screaming."

"They all scream," Karase replied dryly. "Except the voluntary ones. My host was originally voluntary, but the Yeerk assignment changed her mind."

"Yes, Jareth five seven two is not exactly known for his kindness," Candra explained. "That was the Yeerk who infested your host before you came along."

"I see."

"Currently hostless. Our doing. We didn't feel he was sane."

Karase pretended to be flippant.

"Why should it matter one way or the other? Yeerks have a right to a host, after all."

"Not _all_ Yeerks." She glanced at her watch. "I must go."

"Are you a traitor?" Karase demanded.

"I am not a member of that foul movement," Candra scoffed as she left.

_What…?_

_They call themselves the Peace Movement but they are anything but. It's a group of rebel Yeerks who want to go against the empire and refuse to take unwilling hosts. Visser Three caught one of the major members a month ago, but somehow, she escaped._

_Good Yeerks?_ Daisy sounded very tentative, clearly unwilling to make the comparison.

_No, they're stupid. They've fought _against_ the Empire._

_Okay._

Daisy did not sound convinced, but she knew better than to argue. Karase took a moment to close her eyes. Daisy's violent flashbacks were still there, but they had gone down during the last four days. Now, if only Daisy could speak in complete sentences.

Still, it was a progress. It was probably due to the fact that Daisy was away from Jareth, so he was not continuing to cause her damage. In addition, replaying positive memories must have given Daisy some confidence.

Karase walked to the car slowly, pondering what to do with this new information. Now that she knew who the Yeerk was who had tortured her host...who had broken her host, really...she knew that she would find him. She would find out why he had been so cruel towards Daisy, who was voluntary and fairly innocent.

Daisy shouldn't have been treated this way. Few hosts deserved what she went through.

But, perhaps Jareth believes that all hosts should be tortured equally.

_Karase?_ came Daisy's voice.

Karase shook her head. She had been sitting inside of her car for the past ten minutes. Looking like a total idiot, wasting time that she should have spent preparing for Daisy's classes next week.

_Sorry, Daisy. I was just thinking._ Karase turned the car on and started to drive.

_You sounded angry,_ Daisy ventured. _Are you mad at me?_

_No,_ Karase reassured.

Amused, yes. Mad, no.

_You are angry though. I can feel it._ Daisy sounded nervous as she spoke these observations, as though worried that Karase would punish her for speaking her mind.

_Not at you._ Karase paused. _You can speak._

Her host had just used four complete sentences. In a row. Quite an accomplishment for such a short time. Granted, it had taken a lot of focus and Daisy was certainly paying for it now with headaches, but it happened.

_It's hard..._

_Keep trying,_ Karase encouraged. _Rest, now._

_Okay._

_You're doing well. You can speak in complete sentences. The images only go through your mind a few times a minute. Before, they were nearly constant. Besides, it's only been four days. I'm sure you'll be back to normal over a longer period of time._

Karase felt like a doctor diagnosing a patient.

She realized that humans are stronger than she, and most other Yeerks, thought. They could heal fairly quickly.

Karase made Daisy's feet move towards the entrance and pulled out her host's key to the building. She focused on making sure she was walking in the right direction and had pushed the correct buttons on the elevator, before proceeding.

Daisy slept uneasily. Karase realized that she was still at the early stage of infestation. This occurred when, even though one wanted the company of a Yeerk, the idea of the Yeerk knowing the person so well that the Yeerk could decipher their thoughts even before they were coherent made things quite uncomfortable.

Daisy had never made it past this stage.

Karase spent the rest of the evening grading papers, taking a short break for dinner. By the time it was nine o'clock, the papers were finished and Karase decided to go to bed.

Karase brushed her host's teeth and proceeded to get her ready for bed. She released control as they entered her room. Daisy's movements, under her own will, were almost comedic in that they were very robotic. She would need to practice being under her own will more because even the dullest Yeerk could tell the difference between Karase's control and Daisy's.

Sure enough, Daisy slumped and nearly tripped over her own two feet when she started to walk.

Karase tried to hide her amusement as she reached out to steady her host.

_No_. _I want to try without any help. Please._

_Well,_ thought Karase, _this will certainly be an interesting event. _

Obediently, Karase withdrew from her host's mind, keeping just enough contact to remain in touch with the senses.

Daisy took another step...and fell flat on her face. Tears formed in her eyes. She took a deep breath, something that was still semi-automatic for a host body, and used her hands as a means of balancing herself. Of course, in order to do this, she had to move her hands so that they propped themselves against the floor. This took a good thirty seconds.

Karase tried not to get annoyed. These things would have to be learned eventually. Better here, in private, than in a public (though not Yeerk infested) facility.

Once Daisy became comfortable with her hands, she needed to use her arms; in particular, her elbows. This took considerably less time, which Karase was grateful for. Karase never pretended to be patient, but dealing with Daisy would take whatever patience Karase could muster, and then much more.

Her legs were still on the floor. This would be the tricky part. First would come the toes, then the feet, then the legs, and then balancing between her arms and legs. Daisy would need to propel herself upward, which would take a considerable amount of strength as well as will.

The whole thing took ten minutes and thirty seconds. Karase knew because she kept control of Daisy's eyes and moved them towards her watch more than a few times.

This may have contributed to the length of time.

Daisy certainly thought so, but was not about to start another argument. Mostly because she couldn't; learning how to control her body was taking all of her mental concentration.

It was generally easier for a host to control their body after the Yeerk had left their head. The Yeerk's connection, their presence as it were, meant that the host still had to make some effort to stay in control. For most hosts, this effort was minimal, but for hosts like Daisy, this took a lot of concentration. Then there was the mental strain. She not only had to learn how to move each part of her without any help, but she also had to do so with another presence in her mind, monitoring her progress.

It took another five minutes, but Daisy finally made it into bed. She even managed to pull the covers over herself without Karase's help. When her head hit the pillow, it was hurting from the effort.

_It gets easier over time,_ Karase reassured. _Those were also the longest moves you've made, not to mention it was on your own. I didn't help at all._

_I guess._ Daisy's mind was so distant, so exhausted. Her mouth gave a yawn, but even that took a few seconds longer than it should have.

It seemed as though Daisy was either tired most of the time or being an annoyance to Karase. Replaying positive memories was hard work, especially since Karase had to take into account which of the positive memories were best for Daisy's present mood. If she was feeling lonely, a family one might be beneficial; on the other hand, if she was feeling upset, a family memory might make things worse.

_Sweet dreams,_ Karase told her host.

Daisy gave no verbal response, but Karase knew that she had heard her.

Karase took control after Daisy drifted off to sleep. Just as she liked to fall asleep on her own, she also liked Karase to wake her up. A mind controlling parasite worked much better than an alarm clock, especially since the human mind could still rest.

Karase began to hatch a plan which might make sharing control a lot easier on both of them. As she was thinking about this, she, too, felt herself drifting off into something resembling sleep.

Daisy's rest was peaceful.

Karase was relieved by this. During the first few nights, Daisy was either unable to sleep for hours at a time or had nightmares about her former Yeerk. The events often occurred during the same night. The fact that Daisy was able to sleep without having nightmares for even one night was reassuring.

It also didn't hurt the Yeerk's rest. Violent and sadistic images were not things that Karase was exactly used to seeing. She hoped that there would come a time when they would stop altogether, or at least fade into the background.


	3. Chapter 3

At precisely 7:00, Daisy's alarm went off.

Karase groaned as she got up.

_Alarm clocks must die,_ she grumbled to herself.

_Agreed,_ came Daisy's voice, not quite as tired as her Yeerk's.

_Well, the sooner we get there, sooner we can leave,_ Karase sighed. She knew that this wasn't quite true, but it would not help Daisy's standing to arrive after her students.

As early as 7:00 seemed, Daisy lived a few minutes away from the school and their day did not start until 9:00, so this was actually much later than most teachers would have been able to sleep.

_At least it's Friday,_ Karase considered as she undressed her host and made her way to the bathroom.

_Mm hmm,_ Daisy agreed.

Karase turned on the water to the shower. _Is there anything you would like to do?_

No Sharing activities were scheduled for that weekend.

_Church on Sunday,_ Daisy requested.

Up until her infestation, Daisy had been a very devout Catholic. Jareth had to keep the pretense up, but made sure that Mass was no longer a source of peace for his host.

_That's possible. Anything else?_

Daisy pondered as Karase washed her hair. The warm water was waking both of them up.

_Sleep in?_

_Obviously,_ Karase laughed.

Daisy was silent during the rest of the shower. Jareth had made very cruel remarks about her body, and because Daisy knew that she would never be considered attractive, it hurt. She wasn't ugly, exactly. There was just nothing about her that most people would find attractive. At least she wasn't fat anymore.

Still, Daisy had larger problems than her looks.

Karase was also silent during this time, mostly because she did not have anything to say. After she dried Daisy's hair, Karase dressed her in a plain shirt and a dark, plaid full skirt and walked to the kitchen.

Karase reached into the cabinet and took out the small bag of coffee. They would need to go to the market for more that weekend. There was barely enough for a few days.

Karase ate some cereal and then went back in the bathroom to brush her teeth and make sure she hadn't spilled coffee on herself. Once she was satisfied, Karase retrieved Daisy's school supplies, and then head to Daisy's car.

She tried to replay positive memories during the drive, but both were too tired to concentrate. Karase ended up conversing with her host for most of the time, but she forgot what they had talked about as soon as she arrived at the school.

They walked inside. It was fairly small, as far as public schools went. The district was pretty good...not exceptional, but there were advanced classes for the smart students and lower classes for the ones who struggled. Daisy had found out that about 85 of the students who graduated went onto a college of some sort, and 90 of these students attended a four year college. It was Daisy's job to prepare the students for high school English. This meant teaching the students how to write coherent papers, pay attention to multiple meanings of words in books, and appreciate different kinds of literature. Daisy preferred to give papers more than tests, but the school mandated one test per text covered.

Because Daisy and Jareth had been on the same page for once, their test often ended up being a page long. The first part was identification and multiple choice, which gave the students twenty points. The next part was three paragraph responses, each worth fifteen points. This gave a statement that the student had to agree with or disagree with. Daisy wanted to give extra credit if the student could argue successfully "to what extent" the statement was true, but Jareth had glossed over those and generally gave a few extra points to anyone who argued for both opinions. The last part of the text was an essay in which the student needed to delve into a theme or part of the text and explain how it related to the whole. Daisy had been a huge fan of dissecting language in college, having first fallen in love with the English language in 12th grade, but the literary analysis she experienced in college needed to be simplified (or "dumbed down", as Daisy had once called it) to a middle school level.

They needed to go to a school assembly before the first period began. This was when the principal, Mrs. Smithmant, would rant in front of the school about the villains who trashed the girls' and boys' restrooms on the second floor. Had Daisy been teaching high school, the assemblies would be more geared towards who got into what college, but sixth thru eighth grade was a little young to be thinking about college.

At least, in most cases.

_Your principal is one of us,_ Karase told Daisy as they endured a ten minute rant on the state of the hallways. _Voluntary, I believe._

_Do you know her Yeerk?_

_She feeds when I do, usually, but her assignment is different. Her Yeerk is quite amusing, actually. He has a name that actually sounds alien._

_Your name isn't human,_ Daisy pointed out.

_More than most,_ Karase interjected._ Karase sounds like Klara. Klara is a human name, though uncommon. _

_What's hers?_

Daisy's eyes were wandering away from the principal as this dialogue was going on.

_Zoltan. One of the few of us whose name starts with Z, incidentally. He wants to "make history", as you humans call it. Become a Visser, at least._

_If he was a kid, he would have gotten teased mercilessly at school,_ Daisy laughed. _That name sounds robotic._ She paused to steady herself, then asked, _Who decides the names of Yeerks?_

_The Yeerks do,_ Karase replied, sounding surprised. _The number is based on how many Yeerks have held that name before the current Yeerk. Twins always get the same name. The prime chooses the name._

_Confusing._

_Well, can you imagine one Yeerk naming several hundred? Even if the three parent Yeerks survived after reproduction, they could never keep track of all of them. Especially since Yeerks can only see through sonar._

_And the parents?_ Daisy asked.

_They die. Always. Yeerks don't ever live to see their children. There are aunts and uncles, but since we don't know who our parents are, it's hard to figure that out. We only know the names of a few of our sisters and brothers, and that's because we either knew them since birth or we were in the same pool as them. Most Yeerks in one pool, who are without hosts, come from the same family. It's nice, actually. Very intimate._

Daisy did not respond. This new information came as a blow to her. She became lost in her thoughts.

_Daisy? Are you okay?_ Karase asked.

It was stupid of her. She shouldn't have told her host that Yeerks didn't have parents. Karase didn't know why, exactly, but the news seemed to effect her host more than she thought it would. Daisy was generally on the quiet side...caring, but quiet. This information was too much for her to handle.

_Daisy!_ Karase repeated, nearly snapping this time.

_I'm okay._

She certainly didn't sound okay.

The rest of the school was starting to stand up in their seats. The assembly was over.

It was time for Karase to finish grading the last of the papers. She stood up with everyone else and began to walk towards her office.

Daisy didn't say very much for the rest of the day. She was still in shock, still surprised. She had been close with her family, though more her parents than her aunts, uncles, and grandparents. She couldn't imagine not having parents. She couldn't imagine an entire group of living beings not ever knowing their parents.

_Do they ever survive?_ she asked after awhile.

It was when Karase had been teaching one of her classes about Iambic Pentameter poetry. The sudden response was so surprising that Karase nearly jumped.

_No, they all die,_ Karase replied, quickly.

Too quickly. Too harshly.

Daisy retreated into her mind again. Karase heard her thoughts but was so busy with the lesson that she did not fully register them. It wasn't until classes ended for the day that she was able to pay close attention to her host's mind.

_Who raises you?_ Daisy pressed as Karase drove home.

_We communicate with our sisters and brothers, though we don't exactly have a gender in the human sense. We receive a sub-visser to report to after we receive our first host._

_No, but how...how do you learn things?_

_We have computers. We learn how to communicate fairly early on. We learn how to use sonar right away. You can always tell which Yeerk has just been born because they constantly bump into the others._

Karase managed a laugh.

_It's one reason why many of us want hosts,_ Karase added, softly. _We're totally blind in our natural state, so even though we can communicate by sound, we're very much aware of how helpless we are. A host provides the Yeerk with some form of companionship, though our training discourages us from forming bonds with our hosts. This is because, ideally, each Yeerk should progress to a better host. Gedds are the worst. Taxxons are just above Gedds because they have better vision and are able to serve the Empire more. Hork-Bajir are considered ideal because they're dangerous so they're able to defend themselves. Humans are relatively weak in and of themselves, but they're still useful. We have twenty-five million Yeerks, roughly, and less than a million of them have any kind of host. Far less of them have useful hosts, meaning Hork-Bajir or humans. _

_What happens once you get hosts?_

Karase knew what Daisy was really asking, but she pretended to misinterpret it. _We serve the empire, of course. We, ultimately, want to capture or destroy the Andalites so that they won't prevent us from taking other hosts._

_No, I mean...if you win, then what?_

_It's a long time before that will happen. If we take humanity and we do receive even a billion host bodies, then more Yeerks would need to be raised in order to receive these hosts. Yeerks and humans would need to reproduce at a similar rate. One percent of all Yeerks reproduce, which is about three Yeerks per pool. Yeerks have longer lives than humans, so we'd need to either expand the human's life span or have them reproduce at such a rate that all Yeerks would be able to hold a host during their lives._

Daisy gave a mental nod. _There are a lot of humans who don't live in the best conditions. A lot of people in the world are starving. They would probably agree to Yeerk control if it meant that their living conditions would be improved._

_Well, we'd probably have humans take pills for food, but all captured hosts are treated well. Unless, of course, the Yeerk in charge is under suspicion and is imprisoned. _

_You said that most Yeerks are like you. You would probably get a lot more willing hosts if you went to other countries and tried to recruit there._

_That's true, but Visser One said it would be best to start with the United States. Visser Three did not disagree. Visser One's plan is infiltration but she believes that it's best to start with the areas with the most power. Visser Three is just an idiot and thinks that killing hosts is acceptable and a fun activity._

_Why doesn't someone suggest changing plans?_ Daisy pressed.

They had reached her apartment. Karase began to put away Daisy's textbooks and papers and filled the bag with some food and her host's favorite blanket.

_Because doing that would be suicide._

_If there were no Yeerks life Jareth, it might be better if there was some kind of alliance with humanity. Maybe not complete control, though._

_We're Yeerks. We have access to complete control, so most of us will take it. I don't see how things will change unless one of the vissers decides that they suddenly want to be part of that disgusting Peace Movement._

_Maybe their ideas are similar to yours,_ Daisy pointed out, very timid.

Karase lost her temper. _Don't be stupid! They're entirely different from us, normal and civilized Yeerks. They refuse to infest hosts that are unwilling and persist in guilt for having been born a Yeerk. They practically _beg_ the Andalites to kill them. In fact, I believe that some of them did. The Yeerk who pretty much founded the movement got scared away from her host by one of the Andalite bandits. Probably because the host was a small child and the Andalite was more powerful. You simply do not understand how misguided, stupid, ignorant, and intolerant those Yeerks are._

Daisy backed off. _Sorry._ She sounded offended. A little hurt, but mostly offended. _I'm not completely brainless, you know._

_You certainly don't act that way._ The thoughts were out of Karase's head before she had a chance to consider them.

Karase spoke again before her host had a chance to form a reply. _I'm sorry. That was unkind of me. I didn't mean to act that way._

_It's okay._ Daisy sounded tired, yet again, and wary. If Karase had never made any mistakes with her host, then it would probably take weeks before Daisy was completely back to normal.

Unfortunately, Karase was not perfect. She didn't know how long it would take before Daisy healed. Or if she would heal entirely.

Making sure that Jareth was punished would probably help the healing process, whether or not her host chose to believe that. Of course, Karase would keep everything quiet until the day of the trial, and even then only if she needed to testify against Jareth. She wondered if her host would need to testify against the Yeerk.

_Probably not,_ she reasoned. _To the Council, she's just a host. I speak through her and for her._

Karase finished gathering Daisy's belongings, locked the door behind her as she left, and then took the elevator to her car.

She tried to think of something to say. Karase remembered Daisy's view from her apartment. She probably could have gotten a house, since her district was well paying and her father was helping to support her financially, but she wanted to be near the ocean. The apartment had a side view overlooking the ocean. When Daisy walked outside, on one area it was streets with stores and houses, but on the opposite side was the building's pool and the ocean. It would be a little too early for Daisy to go swimming (it was, after all, only the middle of March), but the location was greatly admired. Daisy had also received a good deal on the apartment because her father was friends with one of the people who planned the original building. She received a 15 discount on her rent, plus the washing machine and dryer came with the apartment. It was a nice place to live despite the fact that there were casinos a few miles away.

_Did Jareth ever let you go swimming?_ Karase questioned.

_I didn't swim very much before I got infested. I went to the beach, but no one really knew me. He didn't let me go back,_ Daisy sighed.

_As soon as the weather gets warmer, we'll try the ocean again,_ Karase promised. _One of my previous hosts used to surf, so I can teach you, if you want._

_That would be nice,_ Daisy smiled.

The Yeerk pool was about 10 minutes away by car and a half an hour walking. Karase decided the car would be the best idea. They head to the parking lot area and got in the car.

_We need more gas soon,_ Karase commented. _You have less than half a tank._

_I never go anywhere that's more than a few minutes away. It will last me awhile._

_Well, we should get more soon, at least,_ Karase insisted.

Daisy shrugged. _Okay._

Karase smiled. She was still having some trouble with her host's constant stream of "okays", but at least this one was acceptable to the present situation.

Within minutes, they had arrived at the Yeerk pool.

_Don't forget. I'll tell them you're voluntary,_ Karase reminded.

To Karase's surprise, Daisy cringed. _I might not be able to walk that far._

_I'll let them know,_ Karase reassured. _I don't think anyone will notice. They'll have another voluntary host assist you._

Daisy sighed. _All right._

The line wasn't too bad this time. The cages seemed almost empty. This was probably one of those lulls during the feeding schedules. Most hosts had school or jobs, so even on a Friday afternoon, feeding would not be a first priority.

Karase grinned mentally. Yeerks and humans had that priority right. Don't do anything you don't need to do on a weekend.

_Good luck. You'll be fine. I'll see you in a few hours,_ Karase told her host.

_See you soon._ Daisy's reply was calm, but she sounded happier than Karase had ever heard of her before.

As soon as it was their turn, Karase lowered Daisy into the pool, broke the connections, and fell into the Yeerk pool.

This time, she wouldn't have to deal with Larton.

A few hours later, rested and feeling very well fed, it was time for Karase to reinfest her host. She felt the head go under the water, nearly landing on top of her. Karase sprayed a generous amount of painkiller and crept inside her host.

Daisy sounded...unsure? Scared? Karase couldn't tell.

_Daisy, what happened?_ Karase questioned as she took control.

_I met Jareth's old host,_ was the grim response.

_May I look?_

_Go ahead._

Karase plunged into Daisy's memory. Looking at a host's memories could be very confusing, and even bewildering, at first. New Yeerks certainly felt this way. Karase remembered that, the first time she had infested a host for more than the allotted training period, she found the memories overwhelming. Each memory was related to another memory. The host understood the context, but for the Yeerk, it was like learning another language through immersion. Eventually, all Yeerks progressed to the level of fluency, but it wasn't easy at first.

Emotions also had a lot to deal with this. Yeerks knew what their host was thinking at all times. It was impossible to lie to a Yeerk. It was also very difficult for a Yeerk to lie to a host, but there were those who managed fairly well. It was also impossible, or at least extremely difficult, for a host to have a thought that was not immediately intercepted by the Yeerk. The Yeerk knew all of the host's thoughts, practically before they were formed.

In some ways, this could be considered quite pleasant. Karase believed that language and the ability to interpret or misinterpret something was a key factor in all aspects of life. With a host, the Yeerk not only knew the words, but knew the tone, the inflection, and the meaning. There was nothing to hide. It was intimate, which could be seen as terrifying, but it was also comforting. A Yeerk could not misunderstand a host. It was impossible.

Karase felt herself lose consciousness of herself as the memories surfaced…

_The Yeerk left. Karase was gone. Only for a few hours, but still, she was gone._

_Daisy tried not to cry. She tried to lift herself up from off the kneeling position that Karase had left her in._

_She nearly fell into the Yeerk pool._

_One of the Hork-Bajir said something, probably something insulting, and then extended a hand to help her up._

_Daisy took it, grateful._

_Once she was standing, the Hork-Bajir who offered her his hand spoke. "Need help? Glash- need guide?"_

_Daisy shook her head, determined. "I'm fine."_

_The Hork-Bajir gave Daisy what was probably a skeptical look, but he nodded and turned to the next person._

_Walking was easier without Karase. Getting up was still very difficult, but the walking wasn't too bad. Daisy was not very conscious of her legs as she walked, as she formed the commands in her mind. It seemed to come naturally, automatically._

_Daisy paused. She had forgotten her bag. She returned to the Yeerk pool, reached out, and grabbed it. She nearly stumbled as she bent over, but the second time getting up was easier. She made a smile, though some would call it a grimace. She walked towards the voluntary area._

_She had been there once before. It had been years ago. So long. They had added furniture to the area since then. A few chairs shoved into a corner. Two couches, near the chairs. Plastic chairs around them._

_Daisy approached one of the couches and sat down. For the first time in the past few days, she didn't feel very tired._

_She did, however, feel the need to rest._

_She unzipped the bag and pulled out her blanket. It was so soft. Even after all of these years. Hundreds of washings. It was still soft._

_Daisy shivered, though she was not exactly cold. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders. It was large, certainly big enough to curl up in. She closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the couch._

_Moments later, she heard footsteps. Then whispers. Daisy opened her eyes._

"_Get much sleep?" asked one of the people, not exactly cruelly, but not kindly either._

"_I'm a teacher," Daisy explained with a laugh. "I need to be at work by 7:15 and don't usually leave until 4:30."_

_The person laughed and sat down. The two other people next to her, one male and one female, followed her. The speaker looked to be in her teens. The male was certainly under 20. The other female looked as though she was 13._

"_I'm Erin," the speaker said. "That's Jason. That's Lizzie."_

"_Liz," Lizzie corrected._

"_I'm Daisy."_

"_Who's your Yeerk?" Erin asked._

"_Karase 514 or 574 or something. I don't remember the number."_

"_Don't know her."_

"_How do you three know each other?"_

"_Same feeding schedules. We also go to school together, but we're not in the same year."_

_The boy looked familiar. Brown hair, blue eyes. Certainly handsome, though far too young for Daisy._

_She flushed._

"_Oh," was all she could think of to say._

"_Mine got changed," Jason pointed out. "We were in the same assignment group, but until a month ago, Acky fed in the evening."_

"_Acky?" Daisy questioned._

"_Ackbar is his real name. I like to call him Acky for short."_

"_He doesn't get angry at you for doing so?" Daisy asked, astounded._

"_He thinks it's cute. My old Yeerk wouldn't have been too happy about it, but Ackbar has a good sense of humor."_

"_I don't know what my first Yeerk would do if I gave him a nickname. Probably punished me."_

"_Why? It's harmless," Erin protested. "As long as word doesn't spread too far around the pool."_

"_Oh, he doesn't care," Jason interjected. "He says that people will talk about their Yeerks no matter what. He'd rather be known as the one with the nickname than a torturer."_

"_He has a good point," Daisy admitted. "Who was your old Yeerk?"_

"_Some jerk. Don't know his designation. I escaped him, but then they found me and gave me Acky. Even Yeerks know when enough is enough. Jerk was reassigned to another host."_

"_My Yeerk had a disappearing host," Daisy recalled. "I forget his number, but his name was Jareth."_

"_Rathy," Liz laughed. "Fits well, doesn't it?"_

_Jason looked astounded. "Yeah, that was my old Yeerk. Total jerk. Stinks that you got him."_

Karase stopped there. The memories continued, but she stopped looking through this particular one.

_I'm so sorry,_ she whispered. _That must have been so hard for you._

Daisy said nothing at first. Then, _Better than meeting up with Jareth again._

_True. Do you want to talk about what happened?_ Karase nudged.

They had reached the car, by now, and Karase was sitting inside. The car was off, and her seatbelt wasn't on. The keys were still in her host's hands.

_What is there to say? About anything?_

Karase was at a loss. Her host had a point.

Daisy continued. _I've studied language and characters in books before. Anything you say can have a million different meanings. But at a certain point, you need to face facts. You have to realize that certain things are set. Certain events happened, certain characters are the way they are. The events still stand, regardless of character motivations._

_Is that how you feel right now?_

_Yes. I feel like it's all pointless._


	4. Chapter 4

Karase didn't know what to say. It wasn't that she couldn't express her feelings in words. It was that she didn't _know_ how she felt. Karase certainly wasn't happy to hear about Daisy's experience, but she couldn't help but feel a little irked that her host would be so distraught over a mere encounter.

It wasn't as though Daisy had encountered Jarath again. Just his old host.

_Karase?_

The voice was quiet, timid. They had already reached Daisy's car. This time, Karase had managed to drive home even while looking through Daisy's memory.

_What._

All right, not the best response in the world, but Karase had her reasons. She did need to keep her concentration, after all. Parking was not the easiest thing in the world.

_Never mind._

Daisy withdrew again, sinking back into her depressed state.

Had Karase been human, she probably would have edged to the nearest door, muttered a hasty, "Good bye" and then avoid Daisy fervently for the next few days.

Unfortunately, Karase was a Yeerk and did not have that choice.

_It's late,_ she announced. _You should go to bed._

_Okay._ Pause. _What are you going to do tomorrow?_

_Probably nothing Sharing related. I'll let you sleep in for awhile. I know you don't get to do that during the week._

_No,_ Daisy agreed. Although she did not direct her next thought at her Yeerk, Karase heard it anyway. _But until recently, I haven't slept at all._

Karase shut her host's eyes, trying to clear her own head, before leaving the car.

That night, Daisy had a terrible nightmare. She had been sleeping fairly well until Karase's rule…perhaps it was because of relief or some sort of shock. Since Daisy's mind hadn't slept, except while Jarath fed at the Yeerk pool, for days on end, it was not entirely surprising that the horrors of Daisy's path did not immediately surface.

Karase had been hoping that they wouldn't. She would not be the first Yeerk who hoped this. Even Yeerks who didn't make an effort to be civil to their hosts never exactly enjoyed torturing them. It was a myth, no doubt spread by the Andalites, that human emotions and memories held no effects on Yeerks. Karase experienced everything that her host experienced when she replayed memories. If the memory was especially painful, Karase would feel the pain as well.

Not as much as her host, of course, because it wasn't personal. Yet, at the same time, it was because the Yeerk knew their host so well that the host became a part of them. That is why, during the fugue, all of the Yeerk's memories pass through their mind and get transferred to their host. They become part of the beings that they inhabit.

When Karase first looked at Daisy's memories of infestation, she did so in a quick, cursory sort of way. Just enough to see what was going on, but not enough to see the details. She wanted a sketch, an outline, not the painted version.

Yet by living inside of Daisy, Karase was receiving part of the painting.

The nightmare was the most vivid painting that Karase had seen of her host. She did not want to see it. She wanted to pull away from Daisy's mind, disconnect from the human so that she would see and hear nothing. She couldn't, though. Perhaps it was part of a Yeerk's biology, that they could not let go of their hosts in the middle of sleep for some sort of safety reason. Perhaps it was because she was so transfixed by the images. In any event, Karase watched the entire thing.

It was too terrible to put into words. Karase thought that if it had been a scene in a movie, the movie would automatically be rated R or even NC-17 because of the dream.

Daisy had endured that every day of her life for the past two years.

The dream seemed endless. Karase tried to wake her host up. She knew the risks, of course. She knew that if she startled her host, she certainly wouldn't kill Daisy, but she could destroy the sleep patterns for weeks to follow.

Karase did not care. She just wanted the dream, the images, to end. She wanted the painting completely erased from her mind.

She couldn't have it that way, though. Even if Daisy's memory was erased, even if Karase infested another human being the following day and blocked out the dream, it would never be gone. It would always linger in her mind.

It was then that Karase knew that Jarath needed to be put on trial. It was not for revenge, as she had thought, so pettishly, before. It was because he was a danger and he needed to be stopped. Right now, he was contained, but he could rise again at any moment. He needed, if not to die, at least to be sentenced to a lifetime in prison.

His actions towards his hosts alone should merit that, but Karase thought that anyone who could treat their hosts like that must have a darker secret.

Karase would find it.

Daisy finally woke up, crying out from the pain. Sobbing inside of her mind. Screaming, though she did not know what she was saying.

Karase felt compassion reach her, more than ever before when she had dealt with Daisy. She was only dimly aware of what she was doing, but comforting words were coming out of her head.

Karase realized that, somewhere along the line, Daisy had taken control. Perhaps she had let go of it when she was trying to wake her host.

Daisy's whole body was shaking. Sweat was pouring from her forehead. Her teeth were chattering. Her hands trembled as they tried to grab hold of the blankets, but failed. The blankets slipped between her hands. Her breathing was heavy.

_He can't hurt you,_ Karase whispered. _He can't hurt you._

_I know…but the memories…_

Daisy simply was unable to calm down. The tears had died down, somewhat, but the host's mind was in a very bad place.

Karase closed Daisy's eyes, still whispering to her host, not even aware of what she was saying. For all Karase knew, she could have been telling her host to shut up, or muttering nonsense words. Karase honestly didn't know.

Except for Daisy's eyes, Daisy still controlled the rest of herself. She tried to take a deep breath, tried to calm herself.

Karase had never felt such pity, not even for the five year old who had been infested against his will and, even now, probably still cried for his mom.

_I wish I wasn't in you. I wish I was another human, standing next to you, so I could help you with your pain. So I could hold you instead of just being in your mind._

Karase didn't know if she had uttered these words out loud. Perhaps they had been formed as a whisper, too quiet for her host to hear.

Karase had a thought. Carefully, very gently, she took control of Daisy's left arm. Not her whole body, just the arm and the fingers. Daisy's right arm was still shaking. Her fingers seemed to be moving a million miles a minute.

She brought Daisy's left hand so that it touched her right arm. Slowly, she urged the right hand so that it was cupped in Karase's left hand. It was, most likely, the most intimate a Yeerk could be with their host while remaining instead of their head.

Daisy's right hand was still shaking. Karase used the fingers of her left hand to hold it up, while she used her left thumb to stroke the hand. She sent calming thoughts to Daisy as she did this.

At first, the shaking merely slowed, but then it stopped. Karase did not release control, but instead continued to hold Daisy's hand in hers, smoothing the wrinkles. Daisy's free thumb reached out towards Karase's hand. Her fingers stayed as they were, relatively powerless in Karase's hand.

But safe.

_I will never hurt you,_ Karase promised as Daisy's heart rate slowed down. Her breathing became heavy; she was starting to fall asleep again. _I will never let anyone hurt you._

_I love you,_ Daisy murmured. She added, "Mom" to it, but this was only in her thoughts, which Daisy could not control. It meant nothing.

Of course, Daisy was half asleep by now, anyway. Karase reasoned that the host probably did not know what she was saying.

Even so, Karase had never been told that she was loved before. Yeerks die before their children are born. She was not especially close with any of her brothers and sisters. Surely, her sub-visser would never claim to see her as a daughter. It was unheard of.

Was it possible for Karase to see Daisy as a sort of adoptive daughter? No one would need to know, of course. Daisy was certainly loving enough. Karase already provided many of the tasks that a parent would perform.

The other Yeerks would laugh at her, tease her, mock her. Probably say that she was a traitor. Yet, hadn't Karase already crossed the line when she swore revenge on Jarath?

_It's too late,_ she thought to herself, watching her host dream.

But whether she meant it was too late for her or too late in the night to think of such things, Karase did not know.

Karase did not respond to Daisy's comment, partly because her host fell asleep seconds after she thought it. Also, partly because Karase was not sure if the comment had been directed at her or at another figure in her life.

She couldn't be a parent to Daisy. She _could_ be compassionate, understanding.

She could, with effort, become Daisy's friend.

No, she couldn't. Friendship meant equality; it meant respect on both parties. Karase pitied her host but did not respect her. She was the one in charge, partly because Daisy was in no state to exist without a Yeerk, and partly because…well…

Because she was a human and Karase was a Yeerk. And Yeerks were parasites, and humans had a centralized brain, and ears, allowing for infestation. So humans were there to serve the Yeerk empire.

Karase reconsidered her thought. There were so many humans, at least five billion. There were less than twenty million Yeerks in the entire galaxy. The Yeerk population increased by five percent every year, though recently it had been closer to 6.5 percent.

Young children, disabled humans, babies, and old humans set aside, there would still be at least one billion humans to choose from.

It would take centuries for all of these humans to receive Yeerks. The human population advanced at a rate slightly larger than the Yeerk population, so there would always be a good deal more humans than Yeerks.

If all Yeerks were forced to reproduce, the Yeerk population could expand as much as ten percent each year. Even that meant that it would be decades before the Yeerk population matched the human population for suitable hosts.

There was no way even one percent of the human race could be infested. There would always be free humans.

The choices were simple. They could kill the extra humans. Perhaps infest all of the humans necessary for the Yeerk population, and then set off an atomic bomb to destroy the others. The problem with this solution was that the majority of humans would still be free, and with the Andalite Bandits around, Karase doubted that the Yeerks would be able to achieve this.

Then there was the second option. Form some sort of alliance with humans. Get rid of all the Yeerks like Jareth, but infest whoever was willing to accept infestation.

There were so many humans, after all, that it seemed nearly impossible that several million, out of billions, could be persuaded.

_Daisy_ had, after all, started out as voluntary, and she remained one even now.

But was there no other option? Extermination or partnership? Was the Peace Movement right after all?

Impossible. Those Yeerks were lowly, weak, and not fit to infest any creature brighter than a Gedd. An old Gedd, at that. They acted on their weakness, driven by guilt at having been born without an acceptable body. Those Yeerks were the kind who would be driven mad by an involuntary host and, eventually, abandon their host and their people.

Just like Aftran 942.

The traitor.

Karase looked into her host's mind, frustrated. Daisy was sleeping once more.

One thing was certain. Jareth would pay.

Another thing was less certain. Daisy would heal.

Though Karase had been determined to sleep in, Daisy's bodily functions had other plans. Just after 5AM, Karase found herself having to go to the bathroom. She swore silently as she made the trip, hoping Daisy would remain asleep.

After she made her way back, she realized that Daisy's body was much harder to move than usual. Every muscle seemed to ache. Even her senses seemed off.

Mental pain contributed to physical pain. As one of Daisy's college professors had once said, "Oppression hurts."

Karase and Daisy had been so tired recently because of Daisy's mental trauma. Somehow, Jareth managed to tune it out, or focus the hurt to her mind. Or he thrived on it, sickening as it sounded. He was, after all, a sadist. But Karase was not, and she was in almost as much pain as Daisy because of Jareth's twisted sense of humor.

She swore again.

This time, her host's mind stirred. Instantly, as though ashamed, Karase hid these thoughts and turned her attention to her host.

_What time is it?_ The human mumbled.

Karase dragged her host's eyes trailed towards the large, digital clock beside her bed. 5:12.

_I'm late for school,_ Daisy muttered, still not fully awake.

_It's Saturday,_ Karase reminded her.

She pulled the covers over her host, positioning her body so that every part, face excluded, was buried in the blankets. Her host body could hardly move, but her host's mind felt secure and warm. She felt so comfortable that Karase found it easy to turn her mind to other matters.

A key question was what the two would do that day. Karase had spent the last several days playing the role of an English teacher. School days started early, ended late, and allowed very little time for anything not academic. Daisy used to read at nights when she had done her student teaching, often recreational reading that was far less challenging than what she taught, but helped her fall asleep at night.

She had done this ever since she was a child, but less often during the academic year in college. Her English classes seemed to drain the ability to read for fun out of her. It was not until her senior year when, plagued with uncertainty about her future, Daisy began to read for herself once more.

Karase had other plans. Her other hosts had been the type to zone out in front of the TV after a long day at work. Karase first continued the practice because it was part of her role, but soon found herself very interested in human TV shows. She would never have considered herself an addict, but often discussed the latest plot twists with her hosts and theorized what would happen next. Most interesting to Karase were the reality TV shows because they seemed more realistic. Each new host had added another show of interest to Karase's memory, and often it was the only thing the two beings had in common. "Vegging out", as hosts called it, in front of the TV secured Karase at least an hour of peace, freedom from screaming and other forms of host resistance.

Other Yeerks felt the same way, though they never expressed their pleasure to their hosts. At least, not at first. Karase remembered hearing Yeerks gossiping to each other about the latest episode of the current popular show. Her Yeerk friends analyzed the show even more than Daisy's hosts, and Daisy's hosts were certainly TV junkies. The new Yeerk would try to preface the discussion by some nonsense about how this represented the human race and could further their infestation, but this never lasted long. The discussions lasted hours, beginning when Yeerks crawled out of their hosts and ending (very reluctantly) when the appropriate amount of time spent feeding was completed.

Some Yeerks allowed this bond to unite them with humanity. Karase knew of the most resistant human hosts who became fairly docile after a few months of watching a favorite show with their Yeerk. Even Yeerks who tried to separate themselves could not do so for very long. Living with someone was something Yeerks knew all too well, but sharing interests and concerns with someone was something else entirely. It forced intimacy and helped dissolve hatred. It created a common bond.

Even if it was only for an hour a week.

Karase realized that this would be a winning situation for her and Daisy. Her because it would allow her to keep up her hour a day of TV ritual. Daisy because it would give the two time when conversation would not be forced. They would not feel so aware of each other's presence. Daisy could form her own thoughts and her own interests without being so aware of Karase's reactions.

Memories hadn't done that because they existed in the past. This would be ongoing.

This would work.

_Daisy,_ Karase whispered.

_Mmm?_

_I have an idea that will help with your nightmares._

Among other things.

The host's eyes opened as though on instinct.

Karase reached across the bed to the table, fishing for the remote.

Daisy groaned._ I never watch TV, Karase. You know that._

Karase laughed. _I'm in charge, Daisy. You have to do what I say._

Daisy groaned again, but this time it was good natured.

_Now, let's see what's on._

(Quick A/N: Even though Animorphs ended in 2001, I'm making this fic contemporary, simply because it's easier to use TV shows, and movies, that are popular today rather than six years ago. Also, I'm in the process of reformatting/editing the entire fic so when that's done it will be considerably shorter in terms of length, and far fewer chapters.)

_And what shows would those be?_ Daisy sounded amused as she rolled over on her side.

Karase blushed. She was quite the addict, and there was very little that she wouldn't watch at least once.

Well, unless it was one of those criminal investigation shows. Why did the police care so much about finding a murderer? They'd all become hosts and then justice would be served.

_Well, what are you interested in?_ Karase questioned, trying to change the subject.

Daisy laughed. _I don't watch TV. _

_Clearly._ Karase pouted, causing Daisy to giggle. _Are you interested in reality TV? Science fiction? Documentaries—which, by the way, I find very dull so if you make me watch them, I could go insane—or history shows? Sitcoms? Soap operas? Another genre I hate, by the way, but "Desperate Housewives" has potential. What are your preferences? _

Daisy didn't say anything for the next few minutes, but it was clear to her Yeerk that this was because she was trying to figure out the answer to that question. It was like asking someone their favorite flavor of ice cream when they almost never ate it. Daisy, sadly, was immune to this type of popular culture.

Then again, she was an _English_ teacher. Books obviously sparked her interest over staring at a large box with pictures and sound.

Finally, Daisy spoke. _I don't know._

Karase laughed again. _Do I have to expose you to everything?_ she teased. _I'm excluding the history channel if I have to do that. _

Daisy shifted so that she was lying on her stomach and staring into a pillow stuffed into a blue pillow case.

_You can exclude the history channel. I'm not a History teacher,_ Daisy pointed out. _I've never even heard of reality TV but that sounds boring. I'm not into soap operas. I can't stand science fiction. What's left? _

_Normal__ shows._ Karase took control, searched for the remote, and turned on the TV, ready to channel surf.

Nothing good was on. This didn't entirely surprise Daisy, since her favorite shows tended to appear during the afternoons and primetime, but she thought that out of sixty something channels, there would be _something_ worth watching.

Apparently not.

Daisy, who had been watching this whole exchange with the air of watching someone approach a wild animal, was relieved when Karase swore and turned off the TV.

_Well, that's over with. Now what?_ Daisy couldn't help but gloat.

Her Yeerk glared at her. _Now we go to the library and rent TV seasons on DVD. _

_Are you kidding?_ Daisy whined. She buried her head under the covers.

_Would you rather _buy_ them?_ prodded Karase.

_I'm a teacher. I don't have money to waste spending twenty dollars on a TV season that I've never seen before,_ Daisy whined.

_Actually, it's closer to fifty._ Hearing her host's wail, Karase added, _But you can get used shows for much less on the web. Usually, it's a little over thirty. Well, minus shipping. _

Daisy sighed, resigned. _Fine. We'll go to the library. I just hope no one sees me… _

_We'll just be there for a little. We'll check out what's available and then bring it back home,_ Karase soothed. _It shouldn't take longer than an hour. _

Daisy whimpered pitifully.

_Come on. Time to get dressed._ Karase took control and threw the blankets back. Inside her mind, Daisy shivered.

_Meanie,_ she muttered as Karase dragged her to the bathroom for her morning shower.

_It's to _help_ you,_ Karase explained.

_And entertain you,_ Daisy retorted.

_Well, living with you is hard,_ Karase sighed as she pulled off Daisy's nightgown. _We both need outside entertainment. _

_I guess it's better than Jareth's version of entertainment… _

Karase smiled and turned on the water. _Exactly. You'll thank me for this soon enough. _

_Hmph,_ Daisy responded.

They didn't get further than this because Karase chose that moment to have her host enter the bathtub (which doubled as a shower) and Daisy found herself too busy enjoying the warm water to care about anything else.

Karase, on the other hand, was busy plotting which shows were best to expose/corrupt her new host.

This would be fun.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: I can't believe it's been over two and a half years since I've updated! I hope my next update doesn't take so long. For anyone who's still reading this, thanks for your patience. For any new readers, welcome! So, just two quick things before moving on with the story. First, even though Animorphs takes place in the 1990's, anything related to pop culture or technology related will be present day. It's just easier that way. Think of the story as either AU or taking place after the Animorphs won the war in the 1990's. Second, at some point I'll be revising the chapters once more, so any suggestions for trimming or adding would be helpful. Beta readers are welcome! Now…onto the next chapter.

_You'll need a library card,_ Karase noted as she pulled on a pair of socks.

_I think I had one when I was a kid,_ Daisy replied, undisturbed. _It was made from orange paper._

_But everything's computerized by now,_ Karase protested, pausing to pull on a yellow sweater. Did that match the skirt? Who cares. Daisy wouldn't run into anyone she knew. _So even if you had a card when you were five, it won't work anymore._

Daisy grumbled in her head. _Can't we just go to Blockbuster?_

Karase rolled Daisy's eyes. _You have to _pay_ to take out movies there._

Daisy didn't have any response to that, aside from letting out a long mental sigh.

One annoying thing about hosts was that mental communication didn't require the use of air, so a sigh that might only last for a few seconds _spoken_ by a human could last much longer when the human became a host. As long as the human felt like it, really.

It was one downside to being prone to a host's thoughts.

Karase checked herself over in the mirror, grabbed Daisy's purse and keys from the table next to her bedroom door, and proceeded to leave the apartment. Daisy watched, bemused, as Karase locked the door on her way out and waited in front of the elevator.

Once out of the building, Karase located Daisy's car without any problems. She pulled the small Ford out of the parking space, checked her review mirrors, and then drove down the ramp and onto the street. Karase had been driving for a few minutes before realizing she had no idea where the nearest library was located.

Good thing Daisy owned a cell phone. Karase pulled the car into a McDonalds parking lot as she dialed the number for information. Ten minutes later, Karase had the names and phone numbers of five libraries closest to Daisy's apartment. Karase checked the clock. 10:36. How early did libraries open? She picked the first one from the list and called, preparing to ask this as well as how to get to the library.

"Freeview Valley Library, how may I help you?" came a chirpy voice shortly after the first ring.

_No one who works on a Saturday would be that happy,_ Daisy observed.

Karase waved her hand in an effort to silence her host. This may have looked odd had Karase not been on the phone, but any observers must have thought she was one of those people who talked with their hands.

Daisy giggled.

"Quiet, you," Karase hissed.

"Excuse me?" The chirpy voice sounded less friendly now.

Karase reddened. "Not you. Sorry." She paused. "Um, what are your hours today?"

"We're open until 3:30 on Saturdays, but we shut down the computers at 3:20."

"How do I get to your library?" Karase asked, recognizing that this was one of her main reasons for calling.

The human on the other line paused. "Where are you coming from?"

Karase gave her the address, and the human provided a long list of instructions. Mostly, the trip involved going straight on Oak View road, but then she'd have to make a series of right and left turns towards the end of the trip.

"Are there other libraries near you?" Karase questioned after the girl had run out of breath.

"Yes, there's one in Clearview and another in Spring City. They're in opposite directions." There was a pause and Karase heard some background noise. "Oh, and one in Fulmer. That's about twenty minutes away from ours, going straight."

Karase thanked the human for her help and began driving. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going, but if she kept driving, she'd have to get there at some point.

After their trip to the library, or libraries, Karase was going to buy one of those GPS devices for Daisy's car. Her previous female host had owned one and Karase found it very easy to use.

_They make mistakes,_ Daisy piped up.

_They're more reliable than I am,_ Karase laughed.

Karase began to accelerate as she saw she was driving twenty miles below the speed limit—so _that's_ why people were honking at her—and scanned her notes to find the first intersection where she was supposed to turn.

Ten minutes later, Karase wasn't sure if she had already passed it or the library was further away than she had anticipated. Daisy was growing tired and get biting her tongue—metaphorically speaking—to keep herself from asking her Yeerk when they'd get there.

Fifteen minutes after that, Karase found the intersection and made the required right turn. The next ten minutes were pretty hectic, but Karase finally found herself parked in front of the library.

_See? You don't need a GPS,_ Daisy insisted.

Karase rolled Daisy's eyes. _I only almost got us killed five times. Granted, four of those times involved humans who have no business driving, but the third time was partly my fault._

_It's a good thing I've never been in this part of town before. I'm usually a cautious driver._

_Ah, because of the whole breaking character thing? Trust me, that's one aspect of their host's personality which most Yeerks ignore. We'd rather not kill our hosts or send them to the emergency room._

_Not to mention that it would be pretty expensive. New cars, surgeries, tickets, lawsuits from affected families,_ Daisy remarked dryly.

_On the other hand, grieving families _are_ more likely to join the Sharing…Oh, relax, Daisy!_ Karase stopped her train of thought at the sound of her host's mental gasp._ I'm not seriously considering it._

_Good._

_As you said, it would be too expensive. We have significant funding, but few are foolish enough to propose an idea which would result in the loss of millions of dollars and thousands of host lives._

Daisy groaned. _Don't tell me stuff like 9/11 was Yeerk initiated…_

_No,_ Karase admitted. _Those particular humans were not under Yeerk control. A pity. Things might be easier for everyone now if the Yeerks had started infestation with underdeveloped countries. It's bodies that we really need, not power. A few million poor people who suddenly disappear would not cause a global disruption. Our entire population _is_ less than twenty million._

_You started in the US because you figured once the Americans were infested, everyone else would just agree to have their freedom taken away?_ Daisy retorted hotly. _That was really naïve._

Karase resisted the impulse to point out that Daisy had started off as a voluntary host. That it was only due to chance that she received a Yeerk who was more aggressive than at least ninety-percent of the population, and more sadistic than ninety-eight percent.

Roughly.

Besides, that type of thinking _had_ been naïve. The human race consisted of billions of members, a large portion of which were underfed and living in conditions most Americans wouldn't spend five minutes in. No, make that five seconds. It would have taken less work to abduct some of those people to provide manual labor so the rest of the abductees could live. Kidnap a few thousand here and there, sustain them on pills temporarily, and finally use one or more of the conquered worlds as a place to grow food for the rest of the humans taken.

Less expensive, fewer lives lost. The Andalites may not even find out about the plan until it was too late.

There was no reason _every_ human had to be taken. The Yeerk population expanded slowly. Even if every Yeerk was forced to reproduce, it would take at least five years to double the current population. Of course, humans could also reproduce. Karase found it hard to believe that the Yeerk population could expand to the rate of the human population within less than ten thousand years.

More likely twice as long, since Yeerks were all too aware that the consequence of reproduction meant their own death. Some outright refused: most delayed until they were about to die of old age.

This was about three hundred and fifty two years for a Yeerk.

So, the only thing Karase could say in response to Daisy's remark was "you're right".

Which she said.

It then occurred to both of them that they had been sitting in a parked car for the past ten minutes, staring out into space.

_Let's get this over with,_ Daisy groaned half heartedly.

Karase smirked. _Maybe we can find some good movies about aliens who take over the planet._

_In those, the humans generally win,_ Daisy retorted.

Karase sniffed in mock disgust. _Then we may have to resort to what your fellow teachers call "Reality TV". I hope it's at least half as interesting as they claim…_

_I doubt it._

_So do I._ Karase smiled. _We'll include actual shows as well. It will be an interesting immersion into the human culture you've missed. Educational, even._

Both had a difficult time believing this.

A/N: So, there you go—an update. Only took me a few years! Leave a review and hopefully I'll be inspired enough to write more before the end of this year!


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